Healthcare Associated Infection Watch News from Kimberly-Clark

This website was created by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, with cooperation from other individuals, companies, and organizations that are also dedicated to the fight against preventable HAIs. The content below is from the site's 2012 archived pages.

Healthcare Associated Infection Education

The Kimberly-Clark Knowledge Network offers a variety of free educational resources on the subject of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Most of them provide Continuing Education (CE) credits. Healthcare personnel can access these infection control courses and training resources in a variety of ways:

  • Facilitated, CE Accredited Programs for on-site presentation 
      A Kimberly-Clark representative can facilitate over 20 different programs at your convenience in your location.
  • Accredited Online courses @ Pfiedler with a grant from Kimberly-Clark Knowledge Network  
  • Accredited Online webinars @ Infection Control Today  
  • Accredited Education for the Ambulatory Surgical Environment @ Excellentia  
  • Accredited Education for the Dental Environment @ Viva Learning  
  • Non-accredited Educational Materials 
      A variety of information on heathcare associated infection and other critical healthcare issues, including Knowledge Network's* Clinical Issues.

 

Those associated with medical care (HAI) infections are a global crisis affecting both patients and health care personnel. Financially, HAIs represent an estimated annual impact of $ 6.7 billion for health centers, but the human cost is even greater. A report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of deaths in the United States for infections associated with health care in 2002 was 98.987. If however, it is likely that the number is even greater because, as mentioned by the author of the report, "There is no single source of nationally representative data on IAAM level currently available. 1

According to the World Health Organization, "At one time, an estimated 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from an infection acquired in a health center. The risk of acquiring infections associated with health care in the countries development is 2-20 times higher than in developed countries. 2

Until recently, a lack of HAI reporting requirements for health facilities helped put enough emphasis is not on eliminating sources of infections associated with health care. However, the growing public anxiety regarding the issue and resulting legislation at the local and state level that requires responsibility is accelerating efforts to combat HAIs.

Infectious diseases in healthcare settings:

The CDC reports that the following are infectious diseases that can be transmitted and / or acquired in healthcare settings and therefore are possible infections associated with medical care (IAAM). 3

Acinetobacter

Bloodborne pathogens

Burkholderia cepacia

Clostridium difficile

Clostridium sordellii

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

gastrointestinal infections

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

HIV / AIDS

Influenza

MRSA - methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus

norovirus

parvovirus

poliovirus

Rubella

SARS

S. pneumoniae (drug-resistant)

Chickenpox

veers hemorrhagic fever (Ebola)

VISA - Staphylococcus Aureus intermediate to vancomycin

Last modified date: May 22, 2006

1. Reports / public health March and April 2007 / Volume 122, p.160

2. World Alliance for Patient Safety, Global Patient Safety Challenge 2005-2006: Clean Care is Safer Care. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005

3. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id.html/span>

There are three broad categories representing a significant percentage of HAIs. Click on the links below to learn more about each: 


 
Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP)  
The ventilator associated pneumonia is the source of morbidity and higher than those associated with healthcare infections mortality. 
Read more about ventilator associated pneumonia

 
Surgical site infections (SSIs)  
Any crack in the patient's skin can cause an infection in the operating room. 
Read more about infection in the operating room

 
cross contamination (contact transmission)  
Cross - contamination is the main source of health care -associated infections. 
Read more about contact transmission

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FAQs

How can I stay up-to-date on the latest HAI news and research information?
Visit the News & Events section of this website often, and sign up for the free HAI Enewsletter here.
I have questions about specific types of HAIs. Where can I find this information?
Visit the HAI Issues section of this website.
I am interested in CE/CME-accredited courses on HAI-related issues. Do you have any information about HAI education?
Yes. Visit the Clinical Education section of this website.
What is the purpose of this website?
This website is intended to be the primary source for healthcare professionals for information on the fight against preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Do you have any resources to help me raise awareness of the issue of preventable HAIs among the staff at my healthcare facility?
Yes.

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